Opinion: Stopping the spread of fatal CWD in B.C. is likely to fail. Here’s why • Outdoor Canada

CWD in B.C is an issue

The spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in B.C.’s wild cervid population was inevitable. The illness has been moving steadily west from Alberta and north from Montana for years. On January 31, wildlife officers announced that two deer from the Kootenay Area, south of Cranbrook, tested positive. One was an adult mule deer buck, and the other a mature whitetail doe.

B.C. has monitored CWD since 2002 but has taken few steps to address its inevitable arrival. Following January’s announcement, the province responded quickly with steps focused on monitoring the illness within its borders. There are also promises of additional regulations.

The best hope now is to slow the spread of CWD in B.C. Once the illness takes hold, it seems unstoppable. Both Alberta and Saskatchewan continue to monitor CWD, but their efforts to control it appear ineffective. B.C. is cautiously adopting strategies based on these provinces’ steps, awaiting a clearer picture of the illness’s prevalence.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE 

The preliminary response area includes four management units in the Kootenay region, considering increasing the hunter-deer harvest and possibly more culls. Twenty-five deer were slated for culling this spring for testing. The goal is to reduce deer numbers and prevent CWD from spreading to surrounding management units. Nothing is finalized yet.

Saskatchewan and Alberta have engaged in extensive herd reductions, but their success is questionable. Media captured pits filled with dead deer during aerial culls, causing a public relations nightmare for Alberta authorities. Increased hunter harvests led many private landowners to restrict or close hunter access. Residents in cull areas found it gut-wrenching to watch strong deer herds reduced to near extirpation.

B.C. will introduce mandatory CWD testing for all hunter-killed cervids in the preliminary response area and surrounding management units. Testing of deer heads has been mandatory in units near the Montana border since 2019.

The province may also ban the movement of road-killed cervids out of the area. This move will primarily affect trappers who use roadkill for bait. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency explains, “CWD spreads through direct contact between animals or from contaminated environments.”

Hunters in B.C. often travel to other parts of the province and Alberta. They are encouraged not to dispose of carcasses in the wild. However, no safe carcass disposal sites have been established yet, a long-standing issue in Alberta and Saskatchewan. B.C. is considering regulations for carcass transportation and disposal.

Baiting of ungulates is not allowed in the affected Kootenay Area, but it remains legal in other parts of B.C. The province is also adjusting this practice.

URGENT NEEDS – CWD in B.C is an issue 

The B.C. authorities are in the early stages of dealing with CWD and cannot remain idle. Although ultimately, they might not have many options. While officials advise against consuming meat from CWD-infected animals, test results currently take months to reach hunters. This delay prompted the B.C. Wildlife Federation to call for faster testing of hunter-killed cervids and proper disposal sites for contaminated carcasses. The B.C. authorities should have been better prepared for these scenarios since it was only a matter of time before CWD arrived.

The Western view is an opinion column. We invite constructive dialogue on the varied points raised right here.

Read More: A Guide on Preparing Garden Soil for Planting in Canada